China Sunergy takes another step into US market

Chinese manufactures of photovoltaic crystalline silicon cells and modules, China Sunergy, has opened its U.S. headquarters in San Francisco.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced the China Sunergy head office at Intersolar North America. Image: Flickr/Mayor Ed Lee.

Signaling the long-term importance of the U.S. photovoltaic market, China Sunergy will cement their engagement with the rapidly developing solar market by opening U.S. headquarters, appointing management and hiring staff there.

At an event to open the office, China Sunergy CEO Stephen Cai spoke of the U.S. market’s importance. "The U.S. will eventually become one of the largest solar markets in the world," declared Cai, "we will invest in the U.S., hire people in the U.S., and serve customers in the U.S., our strategy is to localize as much as possible."

China Sunergy’s U.S. operation will operate under the CSUN brand name. Willis He has been hired as the first CEO of CSUN.

The company announced that it will explore U.S. based manufacturing facilities and that new CEO He will lead the recruitment efforts. The Sunergy announcement comes one day after a Brookings report found that "green collar" jobs, including in photovoltaics, in the U.S. were growing strongly and actually outnumbering those in the oil and gas industry.

Photovoltaic capacity in the U.S. is rapidly increasing and 2010 saw installed capacity doubling. Of that total, 28 percent was completed in California, where the CSUN head office will be located.